Sunday was Rapinoe’s first return to her alma mater since she helped the U.S. women’s Olympic team defeat Japan in the soccer final.

Before the match, she hung the medal around a young boy’s neck.

“It’s heavy, huh?” Rapinoe asked the boy, named Casey.

Casey’s mother, Karen Peters, snapped a cell phone picture. The boy hid his face in his mother’s leg, and Rapinoe pocketed the medal. She’s been “carting it around,” she said, since her team won in August.

As a college midfielder there, Rapinoe was named West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year, a Soccer America First Team All-American and West Coast Conference Player of the Year. She played an undefeated season her freshman year. She missed two seasons due to ACL injuries, but the school -- that field, in particular -- feels like home.

“It just makes me so nostalgic,” she said, watching this year’s team move the ball through heavy rain. “I want to be playing. The field looks beautiful.”

Rapinoe lived in Chicago for two years after graduating in 2008, but she’s most spent most of the past four years traveling. After the World Cup and Olympics, her life slowed down a bit. She moved back to Portland with twin sister Rachael a month ago. They live in the Pearl District.

“I always wanted to come back here,” she said.

The school honored Rapinoe at half-time. Its makeshift band did a combination percussion a capella singing of “We Love You Megan,” to the tune of Frankie Valli’s “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.”

’s fans have given Portland’s a run for their money this year. Portland’s games must draw at least 3,500 fans for the next few games to keep the top spot. Rapinoe’s attendance helped. The game drew 3,392 -- more than BYU’s last game, which had 3,351 fans.

After the game -- Portland won, 2-0 -- several hundred lined up, wound around the Chiles Center Lobby and out the door back into the rain to meet Rapinoe.

Security worried it would have to cut the line off, so they rushed people through. One autograph, take your picture as she signs, they told the fans. A few people sneaked in extra seconds of Rapinoe time.

“Welcome back to the bluff,” one woman said.

“Thank for so many years of great soccer,” another said. “It’s been great, and it’s going to be great.”

“Megan, you are awesome. Would you fist bump me?” a college guy asked before adding, “Megan, you are an absolute stud.”

Rapinoe was gracious, low-key but with an oversized, dimpled grin. She did, in fact, fist-bump the guy. She asked young girls about sports. She listened as a woman explained that her younger sister found the courage to come out as a lesbian after Rapinoe came out herself this summer.

And she signed one giant autograph over the back of freshman Sky Nelson’s gold jacket. Nelson wears the jackets during games. When the team scores, Nelson carries a UP flag and runs around the stadium in nothing but the jacket and a kilt.